Apparatus for fumigating, deodorizing, and the like treatment of air



Jan. 18,1927.

F. c; ANDREW APPARATUS FOR FUMIGAl'ING, DEODORIZING, AND THE L-IKE' TREATMENT OF AIR Filed NOV. 13, 1925 FIGI.

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Patented Jan. 18, 1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.-

FRANK CHRISTOPHER ANDREW, OF LONDON, ENGLAND.

APPARATUS FOR FUMIGATING, DEODORIZING, AND THE LIKE TREATMENT OF AIR.

Application filed November 13, 1925, Serial No. 68,925, and'in Great Britain November 20, 1924.

This invention has reference to apparatus comprising means whereby air is drawn into a tubular chamber and delivered from the same in a cleansed or purified condition.

I Particularly the invention has forobject to provide portable apparatus of this type, robust in construction, convenient to convey from room to roormattractive in appearance, and absorbing but little power in operation.

According to the invention the improved apparatus is characterized in that the air is forced or caused to pass through an air filtering medium or body that surrounds a centrally arranged open-topped receptacle containing a deodorant or the like and through a conical tube the larger end of which is located over the said filtering medium or body which is arranged between perforated plates removably supported in the said casing. The receptacle for the deodorant or the like is formed in one with or fixed to one of the perforated plates between which the filtering medium or body is arranged. With advantage a renewable filter screen of appropriate material is so arranged at the lower part of the casing that the air entering the casing must pass through the said screen. The air may be caused to pass through the apparatus by any suitable means, but conveniently a fan or fans driven by an electric motor may be employed in which case the electric motor is centrally arranged within the casing and its spindle, which is co-axial with the casing, preferably has fan blades fixed on it both above and below the motor. Conveniently the lower of the two perforated plates between which the air filtering medium or body is arranged, is formed with a central pocket to contain the deodorant or the like and with a marginal upwardly extending flange between which and the wall of said pocket the filtering medium or body is placed, the second perforated plate consisting of a ring that surrounds the said pocket and covers the filtering medium or body. In-order to obviate the possibility of a metallic ring such as might be set up by a fan revolving in a. metallic casing, it is preferred to make the casing of a tube of vulcanitc or other suitable non-metallic substance mounted at its lower end in a base that is provided with feet or otherwise formed to allow air to freely enter the lower end of the casing, and

fitted at its upper end with a removable perforated cap or lid that may be furnished with an appropriate handle for convenience in carrying the apparatus.

Flg. 1 of the accompanying drawings illustrates a construction of aparatus accordmg to one embodiment of the invention, the apparatus being shown partly in elevation and partly in central vertical section, and Fig. 2 shows the said apparatus partly in plan and partly in horizontal section corresponding to the line A A of Fig. 1.

In the apparatus illustrated in the drawings 1 indicates a ring-like base formed with three ,feet 2 fitted with india-rubber bearing pads 3. Fitted in an internal shoulder formed therefor in the base 1 is y the lower endof a tube orcasing 4.ormed of ebonite.

Arranged to be held by friction in the lower end of the ring-like base 1, below the tube or casing 4 isa filter screen consisting of canvas or the like 5 secured to a wire ring 6 that is held between the internally extending flanges of an annular holder comprising metal rings 7 fitted one within the other. the outer ring being a frictional fit in the lower end of the ring like base 1. It will be understood that with this construction it is an easy matter to remove the' annular holder 7 separate the metal rings thereof, remove a soiled filter screen 5 and replace it by a clean one.

Centrally mounted within the lower end of the tube or casing 4 at a suitable distance above the filter screen 5 is an electric motor 8. To effect this mounting the casing of the motor may, as shown, be carried in a metal ring 9 from which branch three radial arms 10 that are fixed to the casing 4 as by" screws. The spindle 11 of the motor extends axially of the tube and fixed on such spindle, aboveand below the motor casing, are fan blades 12. The motor preferred is a universal one adapted to operate on either alternating or direct current which is supplied thereto through a flexible conducting cable 13 passed through a hole in the casing wall and furnished at its free end with an adapter plug 14 adapted to fit any usual electric light socket. Conveniently there is fitted in the cable 13 a simple push pin switch 15 for controlling the current supply to the motor 8.

Arranged in the casing 4 above the motor and fan is an annular seat 16 formed by a flange internally projecting from a metal ring 17 fixed as by screws to the casing wall. Resting on thesaid annular seat is a perforated plate or ring 18 formed with a central pocket 19 that may if desired have a removable bottom 20. The said plate 18 is provided with an upwardly extending flange 21 which with the wall of the pocket 19 forms an annular cup adapted to contain charcoal or other air filtering or purifying medium.

A second perforated plate or ring 22 forms a cap to the said annular cup and this cap can simply rest on the charcoal or other material within the cup, or can be formed with a screw thread on its external or internal periphery adapted to engage a corplace is facilitated by. forming the said plate or ring with upwardly extending lugs or finger grips 23. l j

Resting on the plate or ring 22 is the lower larger end of a conical. tube 24 through which the cleansed and deodorized air is forced by the fan out of the upper part of the casing.

A perforated cap 25 is provided to cover the top of the tube or casing, the said cap having a downwardly extending flange formed with bayonet joint slots 26 that engage pins 27 projecting outwardly from the casing. As shown the said cap is furnished with a handle 28 for convenience in carrying the apparatus; a

The central pocket19 is charged with peat or other absorbent material impregnated with a suitable deodorant or the like and'the whole arrangement is such that when the motor is supplied with current as from any convenient point of a usual domestic or office lighting or heating installation, the fan is rotated and air is consequently drawn through the filter screen 5 into the open lower end of the casing 4, passed through the filtering medium between the perforated plates 18 and 22 and delivered to the room or chamber in a cleansed condition, charged with the aroma of the deodorant or the like contained in the central pocket 19, through the perforations of the cap or cover 25. The conical tube 24 above the upper perforated plate 22 leads the air towards the axis of the casing and in this way a suction is created that causes the issuing air to become impregnated with the deodorant contained in the pocket 19. 1

Instead of the charcoal between the perforated plates 18 and 22 an air filtering pad of any suitable character, for example teazed fibrous material or the like, may be employed.

pregnation with. the desired chemical.

The casing of the electric motor 8 may be of more. or less egg-sha e if desired, so as pot to impede the flow 0 air induced by the example it may in some cases be desirable to provide an additionalpad or the like for im- For example there may be removably arranged in the conlcal tube 24 a spiral of wire or other material wound with fibrousor other absorbent material or having'secured thereto a plurality of tufts of su table absorbent material.

of construction and in the materials em-' ployed as will be understood; for example, the centrally arranged deodorant or the like containing pocket maybe of conical form depending from the lower of the two perforated plates between which the filtering medium is arranged, and be perforated or not. The conical form'will result in the air beingv deflected thereby towards the wall of the casing whilst the conical tube above the filtering body leads the air towards the axis of the casing. Furthermore, whilst ebonite or other non-metallic material is preferred for the tube or casing the invention is not restricted to such material as in some cases metal might be employed, for example the casing may consist of a drawn metal tube.

It is also to be understood that the invention is not restricted to the employment of an electrically driven fan or fans for causing air to be passed through the apparatus, as a manually, foot-operated or clockwork driven fan or pump may be emplo ed. In the case of a pump being employe a storage reservoir may be incorporated in the apparatus adapted to be charged by the pump with compressed air, from which reservoir the compressed air would be discharged, through a regulating valve, below the deodorant holder in such a manner as to cause air to be drawn into the apparatus from the room or chamber in which it is situated, means such as a perforated plate or screen being provided to break up the jet issuing from the reservoir. Alternatively a compressed air casing, an annular pocket adapted to contain charcoal surrounding the said axially arranged pocket the bottom of said annular pocket being perforated, a conical tube removably arranged within the upper part of said casing with its lower or larger end over the outer marginal wall of said annular pocket, a rotary shaft axially arranged within said casing below said pockets, two sets of fan blades on said shaft one set being adapted to draw air into said casing and the other set being adapted to force air through the said annular pocket and thence through said conical tube. and a removable filter screen through which air drawn into the said casing must pass.

2. Portable air cleansing apparatus comprising a casing in the form of a vertical tube, a support for said casing that maintains its lower end above the floor on which the support rests, an electric motor mounted within said casing near the lower end thereof and the shaft of which is located in the axis of said casing, fan blades on the up er end of the shaft of said motor and 0t er fan blades on the lower end of the said shaft, a removable filter screen arranged in the lower end of said casing below said motor, an open topped pocket adapted to contain deodorant supported centrally in said casing above said motor, an annular pocket adapted to contain charcoal surrounding said central pocket the bottom of said annular pocket being perforated, a conical tube removably arranged within the upper part of said casing and the larger or lower end of which surrounds the outer marginal wall of said annular pocket, and a perforated cover for said casing through which the air that is drawn into the casing and forced through the said conical tube is passed into the room in which the apparatus is located.

3. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 in which the central pocket is carried by the annular pocket and the annular pocket is removably carried by a support fixed to the wall of the casin In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

FRANK CHRISTOPHER ANDREW. 

